When was your last hearing test? If you can’t remember or you’ve never had one, then it’s time to schedule one. You should think of a hearing test with the same importance as having your vision checked or going to the dentist. After all, our sense of hearing helps us connect with the world around us. It offers us the ability to socialize with one another, the pleasure of listening to music, and the security of detecting danger by hearing … Continued
There is a growing body of evidence supporting the claim that treating hearing loss not only improves hearing but also improves quality of life. Various types of hearing loss can be treated using hearing aids, cochlear implants, assistive listening devices, and/or medical intervention. By treating hearing loss, not only are there improvements in the aided ability to understand speech with ease, but there are also demonstrable improvements in that person’s emotional, mental, and social aspects of life. Earlier this year, … Continued
Wrestlers, football players, boxers and other participants in contact sports often suffer injuries to the soft tissues of the face and head. Generally, these are minor bumps and bruises (contusions), but sometimes a minor appearing injury to the external ear can lead to a lifetime of disfigurement. This article is intended to educate athletes, coaches, parents, and others who might have experience with cauliflower ear or other sports injuries to the external ear (auricle) about how to identify a potentially … Continued
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month which is directed at raising awareness about the importance of newborn hearing screening and developmental milestones for children. No one knows your child better than you. If you ever have any concerns about your child’s hearing, speech or language development, please contact our office at 704.752.7575 to schedule a full audiological evaluation with one of our Doctors of Audiology. Hearing and Speech Milestones Children born in North Carolina are screened for hearing loss … Continued
In order to understand hearing, or the auditory system, and the ability to perceive sound and understand speech, it is best to consider the ear as being divided into 3 parts: the external ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The external ear consists of the auricle and the ear canal. These structures direct sound towards the eardrum. The middle ear is the space that lies between the external ear and inner ear. The middle ear is made up … Continued
Bilateral myringotomy and tube placement, or “placing PE tubes”, is the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States, and for good reason. Simply put, for the right child, it is a simple, safe procedure, which can help resolve chronic middle ear infections while preventing future infections and eliminating the need for numerous courses of antibiotics. The question is how do we choose “the right child”. Generally, this decision is made along with the parents after carefully reviewing not … Continued
Most people feel the need to remove ear wax or cerumen, which is the mixture of secretion, hair and dead skin. But new guidelines released by the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Foundation state that, as long as the ears are functioning properly, people should leave ear wax in its place. Highlights from the report include: Overall, ear wax is beneficial and self-cleaning. Each year, 12 million people in the United States seek medical care for impacted … Continued